Motion limiting supportive device

Abstract

A single piece of high-tensile elastic adhesive tape which is die-cut in a particular manner so as to form a supportive device that is capable of limiting joint movement. The device comprises a sheet of a conformable, high-tensile, elastic, permanently tacky, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape material that has widthwise stretch but no lengthwise stretch, and is covered, on the adhesive portion thereof, with a sheet of release paper of the same size and shape. The device structure is such as to have a pair of flanging anchor wings on either end of an elongated piece of the adhesive material, and having a pair of angularly set anchor tabs positioned between the pairs of anchor wings. While the device can be stretched across its width at any point thereon, there is no stretch or dead stretch along the length thereof. This attribute serves as a basis for limiting specific joint movement. For example, when it is applied with the intention of limiting ankle inversion, one pair of anchor wings is adhesively secured to the inside of the ankle, just below the ankle bone, while the rest of the device is brought under the foot and up along the outside portion of the ankle and leg. The thusly positioned device is further secured thereto by means of the anchor tabs which encircle the ankle joint, adhesively overlapping the outer edges of the first pair of anchor wings, and the second pair of anchor wings then are adhesively attached to the outer portion of the calf. In this manner, the device limits ankle inversion because it has no stretch along the length thereof, while providing comfort and conformability for the ankle because of the elasticity of the device across its width. Furthermore, because of the predetermined die-cut structure of the device, it permits those persons not specially trained in the traditional techniques of supportive joint strapping to effectively apply and use same. The device also saves labor and time for the skilled athletic trainer when used alone or in conjunction with traditional strapping techniques.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A motion limiting supportive device comprising: an elastic sheet of conformable, adhesive tape material, said sheet being a generally elongated configuration having oppositely disposed pairs of flanging anchor wings on each end of said elongated configuration and a pair of anchor tabs disposed in an intermediate position along said elongated configuration between said anchor wings, said elastic sheet including high-tensile strength nylon yarns therein and being constructed in a manner that permits widthwise stretch across the device, but provides substantially no lengthwise stretch along said elongated configuration.   
     
     
       2. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 wherein said anchor tabs are angularly set and positioned at acute angles at the uppermost portion thereof. 
     
     
       3. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 wherein said anchor tabs are positioned closer to the uppermost pair of anchor wings than to said lowermost pair of anchor wings. 
     
     
       4. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 wherein said adhesive tape material has a pressure-sensitive adhesive thereon. 
     
     
       5. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 wherein said elastic sheet assumes a nonplanar character when relaxed including intemingled raised and depressed areas thereon. 
     
     
       6. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 having a release sheet covering said adhesive material. 
     
     
       7. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 6 wherein said release sheet has tear lines across said anchor wing portions and said anchor tab portions. 
     
     
       8. The motion limiting supportive device of claim 1 having a hole formed in the mid-section of one pair of said anchor wings.